afford it. get california working again-for all of us. >> couric: tonight, losing ground. the dramatic impact of the recession, americans making less than a decade ago, living in homes that have fallen in value. i'm katie couric. also tonight, can president obama recapture the magic? in 2008 he inspired the young to vote in droves. can he get them back to the polls in november? and faith and knowledge in this one nation under god, many americans know surprisingly little about religion. >> we're a nation of religious illiterates. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. the recession may be officially over, but it has left the confidence of americans badly shaken. and numbers just out from the government today show why. since the recession began, household incomes have fallen nearly 3% to just over $50,000. adjusting for inflation, americans are making $4,000 less than they were a decade ago. and their biggest investment, their home, has lost nearly 6% of i